Welcome to the Speech and Hearing Sciences Department at Portland State University (PSU)! You are now a member of the PSU Speech and Hearing Sciences Speech-Language Pathology Master of Science program where you will be challenged both academically and clinically. The PSU program values curiosity, collaboration, and community. You will have the opportunity to learn with us in a variety of ways during your time here.
This website is a guide and resource to academic and clinical procedures, policies, rules, and relevant documents that you will use throughout your time in the PSU graduate program. It is expected that you read this website and become familiar with its contents. You will find answers to many of your questions on this site.
Please refer to this website as questions arise; many of your questions will be answered within this resource. However, this site is NOT a substitute for frequent contact with your instructors, clinical supervisors, or the Graduate Program Coordinator and Director of Clinical Education, who are here to help you throughout the entire process.
We are so excited to get started working with you on your journey to becoming a speech-language pathologist!
The PSU Speech and Hearing Sciences Department’s values and mission are in line with the vision of Portland State University (PSU): “Portland State University leads the way to an equitable and sustainable future through academic excellence, urban engagement, and expanding opportunity for all.”
The PSU Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences promotes the communication, cognition, and swallowing goals of individuals and communities. In our commitment to equity, we foster access through education, research, collaborative clinical practice, and community and professional engagement.
Education
We educate our students and the community on communication, cognition, and swallowing sciences and disorders. As curiosity, critical thinking, and our diverse student body guide our teaching and learning environments, we develop the ability to recognize differences and their impact on individuals and communities.
Research
We generate and disseminate knowledge about communication, cognition, and swallowing sciences and disorders through research, scientific mentoring, and the promotion of critical thinking.
Collaborative Clinical Practice
We collaborate, within an interdisciplinary framework, with individuals, families, and care partners as they pursue their goals.
Community and Professional Engagement
We develop our research and clinical practice in partnership with our local, national, and international communities. The priorities and perspectives of these diverse communities give purpose to our work. We shape policy and standards through professional and community engagement.
The Master of Sciences, M.S. degree program in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, (800) 498-2071 or (301) 296-5700.
Always register for the 509 outlined in your curriculum map
Always clear changes in your program with the graduate advisor
509 Clinic Practicum Rules of Thumb:
Be sure to have 18 credits of 509 by the time you graduate
Register for at least 1 credit of 509 in the terms when you DO have a clinic or an externship
If you need to register for 509 credits in a term when you DO NOT have a clinic or externship, you will need to sign on for the drop in simulation clinic for 2nd years
DO NOT register for a 509 credit if you DO NOT have a clinic, externship or are enrolled in the simulation clinic for 2nd years
The ASHA Code of Ethics is a framework and focused guide for professionals in support of day-to-day decision making related to professional conduct. The Code is partly obligatory and disciplinary and partly aspirational and descriptive in that it defines the professional's role. The Code educates professionals in the discipline, as well as students, other professionals, and the public, regarding ethical principles and standards that direct professional conduct.
The preservation of the highest standards of integrity and ethical principles is vital to the responsible discharge of obligations by audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists who serve as clinicians, educators, mentors, researchers, supervisors, and administrators.
Check out our bulletin board in the Student Clinician Lab and explore the ASHA Code of Ethics
The Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CFCC) is a semi-autonomous credentialing body of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The charges to the CFCC are: to define the standards for clinical certification; to apply those standards in granting certification to individuals; to have final authority to withdraw certification in cases where certification has been granted on the basis of inaccurate information; and to administer the certification maintenance program.
The 2020 Standards and Implementation Procedures for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) went into effect on January 1, 2020. For more specific information go to Certification Standards
According to the Standards for the Certificates of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology, students must complete a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervised clinical experience in the practice of speech-language pathology with the following breakdown:
Twenty-five hours must be spent in clinical observation
375 hours must be spent in direct client/patient contact across the lifespan
No more than 75 hours of simulated cases
No more than 125 hours of telepractice
A minimum of 250 hours in person
Each student must meet the ASHA standards in order to apply for a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology. The Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at PSU uses the online program CALIPSO to document meeting the ASHA standards. Clock hour totals are also documented in CALIPSO. Skill acquisition in the 9 disorder areas will be updated at the end of each term for each student. Clock hours will also be updated on CALIPSO at the end of each term.
Confirmation of clock hours and completion of the ASHA standards form is required when a student applies for ASHA certification. Therefore, it is extremely important that an ongoing and accurate record be kept.
Important information related to ASHA’s Standards:
Major decisions regarding evaluation and treatment of a client are implemented or communicated to the client and/or parent only after approval by the supervisor.
Student clinicians should be assigned practicum only after they have sufficient coursework or training through orientations to qualify for such experience.
Clinical practicum hours must be supervised by individuals who hold a current Certification of Clinical Competence (CCC) and have completed a minimum of 2 hours of continuing education in the area of supervision.
A person holding an appropriate credential is available for consultation as appropriate for the client’s disorder when a student is providing clinical services.
Clock hours can be obtained only for the time during which the student clinician is directly involved in providing evaluation or treatment services for clients who present communication disorders or with the client’s family. Ancillary activities such as writing lesson plans, scoring tests, transcribing language samples, and preparing treatment activities, and meetings with practicum supervisors may not be counted as clock hours.
A minimum of 25% of total contact time in treatment with each client must be observed in real time, directly by the supervisor.
The nature and amount of clinical supervision are adjusted to the experience and ability of the student, and the appropriate guidance and feedback are provided to the student.
Students meet all their ASHA standards requirements through their clinic work and course work at PSU. There are no additional experiences that need to be sought outside of the graduate program to achieve these competencies.
Portland State University and the Speech and Hearing Department promote the value of diversity, equity, and the recognition that it enriches our campus community by supporting and enhancing an inclusive and culturally respectful environment. The University, College, and Department do not discriminate on the basis of age, citizenship, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and veteran status.
The Speech and Hearing Sciences Department has its roots in the Portland Extension Center which first offered courses in Speech-Language Pathology in 1956, and later in Audiology. In 1956, a partnership with Crippled Children’s Division (CCD, now Child Development and Rehabilitation Center) affiliated with Oregon Medical School (now Oregon Health Sciences University) was established where speech and hearing clinics were run during the 9 month academic year. Beginning in 1964, summer clinics were run at Portland State College (PSC) in Shattuck Hall.
The PSU Speech and Hearing Sciences Program was founded by Robert English in fall, 1964. The Program was under the auspices of the Department of Speech at PSC which was housed in the basement of Neuberger Hall which was only half built. Two programs made up the department: General Speech (now Communication Studies) and Speech and Hearing Sciences.
Early growth of the program came about largely because of federal grant funding through the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped. During that time, the program had the first visitation for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) accreditation which has since been continuously maintained. For 30 years, Portland State was the only accredited program (out of 5 programs) in Oregon. In 2005, the program evolved to become a department.
We celebrated our 50th Anniversary in 2014 and look forward to the next 50!
Many thanks to Dr. Mary Gordon-Brannan, Professor Emeritus, for sharing this history.